starrymessenger

I think its pretty clear that Brady could not thrive in any offensive system but I don't think he's overrated. Nothing wrong with being a pocket passer especially when you're that good at it.

What could go wrong?

In order for this coaching staff to do the things that would be necessary for the team to take another step forward they would have to become completely different people. In my experience people don't fundamentally change their psychological make up very often. McD and Frazier are senior members in the coaching confraternity. They are unquestionably fully qualified football professionals but they are who they are and the particular needs of this team do not put them in a position to be successful here given their conservative, risk averse philosophy and McD's apparent blind spot when it comes to offence in the 21st century. McD was definitely a good choice when he was hired but today's Bills are a very different team than they were then with different needs. If you were picking your staff today I don't think there would be much support for hiring any of these guys in their current roles. Of course change for no other purpose than change is a guaranteed bad idea and I have no idea if the kinds of coaching prospects you might want to look at are out there. My concern is that the longer we wait to make changes the longer we will be in the same position we are in now and possibly even worse.

I dont attribute the late season/playoff drop off to scheme or to players having a bad day (though there was clearly enuf of that). Fully healthy this D can and has played well even if some prefer a more physical style. What I question is defensive playcalls and the apparent inability of the players to tackle (a basic requirement). All of that relates to coaching imo. On O it doesn’t look to me that Dorsey has what it takes to turn things around. And while it’s appropriate to scrutinize the coordinators, I suspect that McD’s suffocating control of this team’s operations, including drafting, are ultimately the main reason for the shortcomings. And I dont see things getting much better, though I hope I’m mistaken. I just cannot imagine the Bills fielding an imaginative offence under a young and aggressive OC all under McD, who might fear and resent having someone like that on staff. I think sooner or later Pegs is going to have to channel his inner Jerry, pull on his big boy pants and clean house.

While I'd not be looking at a RB with my first pick, I think it would be hard to pass on Robinson who is pretty much a guaranteed franchise player. You have to take him. He could still be on the board in the mid to late first round. He is possibly the # 1 player in this years draft overall. If he's gone before 27 you might then have to consider J. Gibbs who very well could still be available.

Or O'Cyrus Torrence, who has been mocked to us and is acknowledged to be the top prospect at the position.

Thanks for this. I think Cover 1 was saying they went from 5 to like maybe 15 checks. They seemed to think that a perfectionist and micromanaging DC was putting too much on their plates. I have, I think, a better idea of where you stand. With respect I’m not sure I would chalk up another late season debacle which appears to be part of a worrisome trend to the guys just having a bad day. I suppose much the same can be said regarding the O. I guess that in due course we will find out whether this is a “one of” or part of an ongoing saga requiring change.

Given especially that it has been something of a trend since the bye, it's really not enuf to say that we were out-physicalled or that we failed to execute. There are reasons for everything, and probably more than one reason why the Bills season progressed the way it did. Until you know what the reasons are it's hard to know what direction you should take.

Thanks for this. Yes I (thought I) summarized the Cover 1 position. Unlike me you obviously are schooled in the game (I played and was coached in other sports growing up) and so I wanted to challenge your comments more for the purpose of getting your reaction and learning something than for questioning your conclusions. I may be wrong but I don't think I (completely) misunderstood the Cover 1 argument. I believe they did say that the number of post snap keys to read increased in the playoffs and that this caused players to be confused as to their assignments on the given down resulting in blown coverages. They said that this showed that Frazier did not trust his players to just play. They were critical of him. You have also pointed out, no doubt correctly, that other teams run the same basic defence as McD and Frazier. I was inquiring of you whether this was or was not a meaningful comment. In other words do differences in implementation, modification or execution account for differences in result. Or were we just down too many important players on D either absent or limited through injury to play as well as they had earlier albeit against less talented opposition. The reason why these questions are important is because Frazier's contract is up and a decision on him has now got to be made. So where do you stand on our DC?

Well maybe the blown coverages stem from the players having to overthink their assignments. Bills basically line up defensively the same way all the time with actual coverage assumed post snap with players responsibilities determined by reading keys. The number of keys they are asked to process increases in important games against good offenses in order to scheme up the perfect defence to counter the O's playcalls. That is why you see more blown coverages in the playoffs than in the regular season. Frazier does not trust his players to just let them play. The blown coverages are sourced to mental rather than physical errors and so it's necessary to know what exactly is causing that, but the answer seems to be coaching. Other teams may employ the same general defensive strategy but this means not very much given the differences in the ways the scheme may be implemented or modified. If the Eagles meet the Bengals in the championship do you really think Gannon will give Chase a 12 yard cushion on third and three?

Daboll had Josh on a short leash in order to make the best use of his extraordinary physical ability. Take what the D is giving you to set up the game breaking shots. Dorsey only knows how to throw fuel on the fire. Josh is a 26 year old kid who trusts in his ability and whose competitive blood is up. He's the total package but he does need coaching/direction. Daboll was tough on Josh. Doesn't look to me like Dorsey can do that.

As a receiving TE I've liked what I've seen from Morris. Would have liked to see more of him. And Shakir. Hines, etc...I'll say this for McD, he was right to sit Bernard (outside of a few ST assignments). I think Bernard was 100% a McD pick and is a good illustration of how limited this HC is and how things will continue to suffer under the mantra of the process. No doubt intangibles are important but only when in connection with some kind of actual talent.

Sure maybe Dorsey still gets promoted. Idk. Imo there is absolutely no way that Daboll would have tolerated Dorsey's (and Josh's) style of offence. He would have taken over or drop kicked Dorsey so hard that he would have flown back to Florida without a plane.

Team would have been better because the O would have been better. To me Dorsey is completely and hopelessly incompetent. I don't think Daboll would have encouraged Josh's worst impulses. To the contrary, as he did before he left he would have disciplined him and gotten him back on the right track. He would have revisited his mechanics, had game plans and playcalls that got the ball out of Josh's hands more quickly or given him more time in the pocket with the opportunity to step up. Coaches need to be tough even with star players. Dorsey can't do that.

You don't get it. Its not that they haven't won a Super Bowl. As you point out lots of coaches and doubtless some very good ones are in the same camp. its that notwithstanding having a good record and putting up some good stats the drafting and coaching has even to fans and casual observers been a very significant reason for the teams misfortunes (and will continue to be imo). Now I suppose we will be told we don't know enough to understand what we are actually seeing plain as day. 13 wins. Sounds pretty good.

What he's actually saying, whether he knows it or not, is that the changes most would like to see will likely happen only a year from now after an inevitably uninspiring season. Unless Pegs pulls on his big boy pants and makes some executive decisions, however unlikely.

Marvin Mims. Get him end of second. Some say he goes in the third.

Or Dorsey, unless they are crazy. Dorsey is a child amongst men.

And it's not just the lack of pressure. That make shift O-line opened up big holes in the run game.

McD is afraid of dawgs.

I'm sure you are right. I've felt sure all along that Bernard was 100% a McD pick. Small but slow (with, and here's the thing, good intangibles). And that is the sort of thing that has me saying he's got to go.

There have been no adjustments all year. And since the bye they haven't fooled anyone.

Choirboys at Sunday school. Look, McD is a good man and has forgotten more about football than I will ever know. Now just get rid of him and his assistants if there is better out there.

Cincinnati had to replace 3 starters on the O-line and a fourth was hobbled.

Well you saw what the Ravens D did to the Bengals. But for no QB and a fluke play with a 14 point spread they basically beat them.